


Things Usually Get Worse Before They Get Better

by sassygaybriel



Category: Captain America (Movies), Merlin (TV), Thor (Movies)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Crossover, Gen, I really have no idea why I wrote this, Loki is Merlin, Past Lives, Reincarnation, Steve is Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-09
Updated: 2013-10-09
Packaged: 2017-12-28 21:47:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/997156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassygaybriel/pseuds/sassygaybriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a soldier has a prophetic dream about a Frost Giant child named Loki and is given three options for the infant's destiny, he picks the one that seems to have less pain. This is the story of the incomplete fate, and how Loki might have been spared some pains but endured some worse. How sometimes fate will give you a gift when you least expect it and sometimes suffering is worth the reward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Things Usually Get Worse Before They Get Better

**Author's Note:**

> I think I came up with this idea and wrote this at one in the morning so I apologize for any really out there concepts or errors. I basically wanted to do an AU plot line of Loki growing up on Earth instead of Asgard or Jotunheim and I figured this might be how it goes so I'm sorry for any OOC-ness of Loki but I see a lot of his canon personality being from upbringing, not nature.

When one wakes from a dream the memory often fades. But this one wouldn't.

A soldier for Asgard was in a deep sleep the night before war and woke, quickly sitting up. He'd seen two different outcomes of a major decision and the beginning of one. Like three fates based on three decisions.

They all branched from the same beginning, war and a newborn left out in the cold. The first fate had the child being taken by the soldier to Midgard but it stopped right before anything further could be seen. Death, however, was nowhere close to an immediate outcome.

The second showed the child nearly dying if the soldier merely moved the child somewhere else in the realm but being found by his father in time so it didn’t die. The child grew up cruel and twisted, demolishing realms, Asgard being the first one. It ended with the boy dying young because of a mistake in battle and losing everything.

And the third was the worst. Odin had found the child and adopted him but the boy grew up knowing only cruelty, to become the most hated God of all. To be mutilated and abused only to become sicker and more cruel than the last fate. The Soldier watched Loki die for about the same reason. A mistake, a series of them and he was hated.

When the time for battle came the warrior made sure to find the child, Loki, and he fled for Heimdal, pleading for help after explaining the prophetic dream. Heimdal acknowledged that the child couldn't remain in either realm, he would suffer and should be given the chance of happiness.

So the soldier took Loki to Midgard, and found a nearby family. He told them that the Gods needed them to take care of Loki, that if they didn't a fate worse than death would take them. Of course that was maybe only a half lie but the family listened, taking Loki in as the soldier went back to war.

The family was set on never telling Loki of his heritage and they never did. It was only when they moved after death took all of the family save for Loki and his new mother that it was evident Loki was different.

He was always unintentionally moving things without being near them. It was something he couldn't control but he had to try, to keep it secret. But with lives on the line things just happened. People had to be saved, disasters stopped though no one seemed to take that into consideration. He was a sorcerer and therefore evil in their eyes.

Loki had to flee from his town in his teens, change his name and everything about himself. He acted a little more foolish and incompetent to hide any trace of his past and that was what got him into trouble with royalty.

Loki, or rather Merlin now, became the servant of Prince Arthur and their destinies became intertwined, a bond was formed that made Loki feel that maybe he was safe. It made him feel loved in a strange way. Feel that they could take on the world if needed and change it. Make it better. But he was wrong.

He couldn't tell Arthur about his magic until moments before his death and death was the problem. That ensured they couldn't share that bond forever, while Loki would live on, seemingly young and immortal. He hardly aged, maybe a year for every hundred since he came into his magic completely.

Loki lived for centuries after his best friend had passed on, roaming the earth and falling into an indifference about things and people. World War I sealed his indifference. Everyone was fighting and Loki just couldn't bear to watch it. He fled away to the coldest part of Russia, to hide from war. But that required travel. Loki was in Norway for the first time in hundreds and hundreds of years and the second he crossed the spot where the soldier first set foot on Earth his skin changed color. That was when he knew he wasn't just a sorcerer. He was, as Norse legend said, a Frost Giant. Thankfully no one saw and the color faded quickly but the truth would haunt him forever and cause him to retreat faster into cold isolation. Why wasn't he told? How did he get here? Did his family even know? Why him?

Loki spent years in Russia wondering about possible answers and living alone aside from a few animals that didn't last long. Not when he needed to survive. The years made him angry with not being told anything and for having to hide his true nature for so long but a few more and he realized why he couldn't know and why he had to hide. Humanity wouldn't be able to handle it and knowing would only endanger him further. He actually wanted to stay in isolation to be free from danger but he knew he couldn't.

As fate would have it though, the day he decided to leave was in the Second World War, it pissed him off and he wanted to go back but then he saw a soldier on the battlefield. Someone incredibly familiar that rooted him to war. The cowl had come off the American decorated suit and Loki could clearly see the light hair, the light complexion and the blue-grey eyes. The facial features nearly screamed the name on the tip of Loki’s tongue.

Loki fled from the battle and waited in the American army camp, waited for the Star Spangled Man to come back. And when he did Loki's jaw dropped. It really was him. It was Arthur, it had to be.

"H... Hey." Loki said in shock and got the man's attention.

"Everything alright, soldier?" The man asked.

"It... it's me." Loki said "It's Merlin."

"I'm sorry, I don't know any Merlins." The man said, feeling bad. He figured the man's parents must be fans of the tales of King Arthur and Merlin.

"What's... what's your name?" Loki asked.

"Steve. Steve Rogers." He replied.

"I'm sorry... I thought you were someone else..." Loki said, sounding disappointed.

"Er... maybe I can help you find him."

"No... It’s fine. The royal prat has been gone for a long, long time." Loki turned to walk away. "I've lost hope in him coming back."

"Wait..." Steve started, getting Loki to stop. "What did you call him?"

"Royal prat?"

Steve had a vague look of deja vu, like something he couldn't quite remember but he felt like the nickname was familiar.

"What's his name?"

"Arthur. But there's probably hundreds of them around. And I'm not crazy, it was just fate that his name was Arthur and mine Merlin."

Steve nodded "I can have some people keep an eye out for him if they can spare it for you, but..."

"It's war." Loki finished. "I know how it works. You keep an eye out for your country and others first then yourself. You don't look for one person unless it's absolutely important for your mission. Don't worry about it."

But Loki knew Steve had to be Arthur. He just had to be. Steve looked just like an older Arthur and he was a great leader. So Loki followed him into dangerous missions under the disguise of a soldier and under Steve's leadership.

All of it came crashing down with the plane though. Loki used magic when no one was watching to get onto the Hydra ship, Steve following after. He hid and helped Captain America take out Hydra Soldiers only when he felt Steve needed it.

"What are you doing here?" Steve asked.

"Saving your arse, what else?" Loki asked, figuring he had to expose his secret of magic again. He held off the remaining soldiers and told Steve to go take care of Red Skull.

Steve took a moment to regain himself from seeing Loki use sorcery before he managed to take out the leader of Hydra, Loki following and stopping the Tesseract from falling into the ocean. No country should have it but letting it get lost in the ocean with the possibility of being found by easily tainted people would be worse.

"How did you do that?" Steve asked after Loki raised the cube with magic and put it in the stand.

"I... I use magic." Loki said and Steve looked struck. Like memories hit him hard.

"Merlin...?" Steve started, sounding shocked that it was actually him. "You--."

"Arthur, you've got more important things to take care of." Loki said, maybe they could pick up where they left off once this thing landed. But he was wrong. It was never going to land, at least not safely.

They had to take it into water, into ice. Loki took a breath to steady himself. Maybe it was time for him to die. Maybe this time they would be at peace.

"Merlin, you have to get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you."

"Get out you clotpole!"

"You died once I'm not letting you die again and waiting around another millennia and a half alone for you, you dollop head!"

They glared a moment before their expressions turned amused, smirks on their lips.

"I guess I can't get rid of you can I?" Steve asked.

"Never." Loki smiled.

Steve spoke to Peggy one last time, Loki standing at his side. The plane crashed into ice and water, making them fall and wait to drown in the cold. Communication was cut off and they were all they had.

"This is it..." Steve sighed. "Maybe next time we'll be in a time without war."

Loki scoffed "Have you looked in a history book? War is something humanity can't avoid. I've seen it for myself."

"Somebody's a cynical old man." Steve teased.

"Haven't had a reason to be optimistic in a long time."

"Why?"

"I lost hope when you died."

Steve sighed and shivered as the water started to flood in fast from the open bomb slots and through compartments. They had minutes at most before they would drown. "What about now?"

Loki paused, "It's possible there might not be war..."

Steve smiled and leaned on Loki. "What do you think? Hover cars everywhere? Maybe even space ports? Travelling across the universe?"

Loki chuckled "Maybe... maybe you'll be my servant and I'll be your king."

Steve laughed "Like Hell, Peasant."

"Royal Prat."

Loki looked to Steve "Why is it that it's only when you're dying I have important things to tell you?"

"Our luck I guess. Why? What do you have to tell me?"

"I'm not just a sorcerer... my name isn't Merlin either. I'm Loki. I just found out I'm a Frost Giant not too long ago." Loki admitted.

Steve looked at Loki and watched his skin turn blue with lighter blue markings, his eyes change red. But Steve didn't flinch away. He just leaned closer and closed his eyes, the water to their waists now.

"You're going to get yourself into serious trouble, Merlin." Steve smiled. "If you keep dropping things like that on me before I die."

"What can I say? Old habits die hard." Loki said, changing back. "Sorry you're missing your date."

"Maybe God is trying to tell me something."

"Maybe..." Loki agreed and Steve looked up at him one last time. "Sire?"

"It's getting so cold..." Steve whispered, body trembling from the icy water.

"I know..." Loki said softly, Steve losing strength to keep sitting up. Loki held him like he did once long ago, this time closer. Just to keep him warm a little longer.

"Do you think we made much of a difference? Do you think we saved people in the long run?" Steve asked, eyes sliding shut.

"Yeah..." Loki whispered, growing tired himself. "Yeah, I think we did, Arthur."

"I'll find you first next time." Steve promised. "Merlin."

Loki uttered a spell he didn't even know if it would work. Unconsciousness took over them and they didn't regain anything for almost seventy years.

Steve woke up in a room, a baseball game on the radio but it was wrong. That game wasn't right, that was before he was even in the war. He was actually at that game. So when that woman came in he knew she was fake.

Steve broke out, running from everyone only to be hit with culture shock. This was New York? It just couldn't be. He found himself cornered by people, one man stepping forward and telling him he'd been asleep for a long time.

"Where...?" Steve started before he remembered Loki. "Where's Merlin? Where's the soldier I was with?" He demanded.

"Still defrosting." The man, Fury, answered.

"Show me."

Steve allowed himself to be taken back and to another room like the one he was in only Loki's skin was blue again and he looked lifeless.

"Despite his appearance he's alive. Just barely." Fury said and Steve went to Loki.

"Merlin." He said, touching his shoulder. "Merlin, wake up. You're the worst servant ever." Steve tried to joke and that earned a groan.

"Five more minutes." He mumbled, curling up. "Cabbage Head."

Steve chuckled once "Come on."

Loki groaned again but rubbed his eyes, skin changing back to a human tint slowly, eyes already back to a blue-green.

"Prat." He sat up and stared at the radio. "No way in Hell are we still in the 40's."

"How did you know?" Fury asked.

"I'm not an idiot. I might have isolated myself when that game was playing but there's no way we were found and defrosted in that short of time." Loki said. "What year is it?"

"2012."

Loki smirked at Steve "Any of your hover cars flying around?"

Steve and Loki laughed, leaving Fury out of their joke before reality hit them. They were in another time and they had escaped death. They went out into the world, Loki not as affected by culture shock given how he'd seen the world evolve before. "Humanity never ceases to surprise me..."

"What did you really imagine? About the future?" Steve asked, both of them sitting in Central Park.

"Desolation. Rubble and ruin everywhere. Humanity nearly gone due to its own need to destroy itself. At least for a while. I expected a third World War that actually was fought all over the world. At least until humanity decided to rebuild. Things usually get worse before they get better." Loki sighed. "It feels like we just took a nap doesn't it?"

"Yeah..." Steve agreed, looking at his picture of Peggy. "It doesn't feel like years. How did we even survive? How didn't we age?"

"I used a spell to try to save us. And as for age, I'm a few centuries away from two thousand years old and you were pumped with God only knows what. I can't complain though. That just means I get to annoy you longer." Loki chuckled. "And maybe the ice had something to do with it. Ice does freeze aging of organic things and decomposition."

"Maybe..." Steve said, putting the picture in his pocket with a remorseful expression.

"I guess she's gone by now huh?" Loki sighed. He didn't like seeing his king like this. "I really wish I could have done something more. I should have practiced more spells instead of being a cynic."

"I really doubt there was any more you could do. You did your best, as always, and we've cheated death again. Why do you think that is? Why do you think that I, of all kings, was reborn?"

"You were the greatest king to sit on any throne. Believe me, I saw them all. Maybe we're meant to face something even bigger than before." Loki looked up at the sky. "Maybe we're meant to face the Gods. Or something else."

"Are you implying aliens?"

"Who's to say they don't exist? Technically I am not of your world and therefore an alien."

"I feel like this is the set up to a radio show."

"Maybe it is. Maybe it's a work of fiction. Maybe it's not. Either way I'll fight at your side until my last breath."

Steve looked up at the sky. "If it is fiction... how do you think it will end?"

"The same as before. You dying in my arms and me alone again. Seems to be the progression of things. Or maybe vice versa. I know how ever my story ends it won't be happy."

Steve shook his head "You know how you said it has to get worse before it gets better? That's just our story. Camelot and Europe... I think that's our worse. I think it'll get better once we get used to this time."

"How do you think it's going to end then, oh, Optimistic One?" Loki teased.

"Peacefully." Steve rolled his eyes. "We'll be happy after our suffering is over... you'll be my servant again." He teased back.

"Like Hell!" Loki snorted. "That would only make me suffer more... do you really think our suffering is over?"

"It has to be. We've lost everything twice."

Unfortunately for Steve he was wrong. In a couple years their suffering would only become worse and go by the name Thanos.


End file.
